By MIKE DILLON
It's step-up time for a stayer at Te Rapa on Saturday.
The $100,000 Waikato Times Gold Cup favourite Sunray is current Auckland Cup favourite at $3.75 and his stablemate Galway Lass back at $10 is second favourite.
If Sunray wins on Saturday, and he should, he will shorten in so
far it will make the Auckland Cup betting market so tight it won't be worth having a bet.
So something has to step out and find a new level this weekend.
On this day last year Oarsman, without form, won the 2400m PQ event, went on to be beaten in a tight photo finish by Bodie in the Auckland Cup and then stylishly won the Wellington Cup.
Finding the emerging Oarsman this time - and in turn helping your $1 million Pick 6 chances - is the key.
The 2400m PQ, well, it just doesn't have the feel that it's going to throw up a summer star, but there are five or six Waikato Times Gold Cup runners who will either put their names into the spotlight this time or have the question mark hanging over them for the holiday racing.
Lafleur falls into that category.
Few stayers looked more promising last season, but she is starting to run out of opportunities to show she can live up to that promise.
Jim Gibbs has done a marvellous job with a mare who has been notoriously difficult to train, but Lafleur needs to do something this time.
Scott Seamer was flown from Australia to ride Lafleur in the Avondale Cup and he said she simply failed to click up a gear when the time came to sprint.
She has probably needed a few of her races so far, but that will not be an excuse this time.
Nor will the track, as she has raced well at Te Rapa.
Bel Air looked much better when Rhys McLeod managed to get him into third in the Avondale Cup.
He looks as though racing will only improve him and as a previous Te Rapa winner can push his claims on Saturday.
If you backed My Governess in the Counties Cup - and plenty did - you probably put a photo of her on the wall and threw darts after she bucked for the first 100m of the race and tailed off last.
She has ability and gets a perfect opportunity to redeem herself. Being from the Central Districts she should appreciate the switch back to a left-handed track.
Singing Star is a mare who could win a big race this campaign. She is a dour stayer and the step up to 2400m will suit her.
She got back in the Counties Cup and like everything else that raced in that mode, she was unable to make significant ground on the leaders late in the race.
With El Duce, Avondale Cup winner Regal Krona, Our Unicorn, Lord Mighty Mellay and the likes there is enough talent to make this an exciting race.
What you need to see is seven runners flashing across the line with half a length between them.
Then we'll know our stayers are on track for the summer.
Trouble is, that won't make the Pick 6 easy to sort.
By MIKE DILLON
It's step-up time for a stayer at Te Rapa on Saturday.
The $100,000 Waikato Times Gold Cup favourite Sunray is current Auckland Cup favourite at $3.75 and his stablemate Galway Lass back at $10 is second favourite.
If Sunray wins on Saturday, and he should, he will shorten in so
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